Triple Crown Safe Starch

[GonzalezFamilyFarm]

We just picked up our mini today! Currently haven't got to measure or weigh him for exact measurements. But he's around 37". I know minis are extremely vulnerable to starches and sugars.
I don't necessarily want to feed him pellets for this reason. I found the triple crown at my local TSC and am wondering if anyone feeds this to theirs and has luck?

 

[Abby P]

Do you mean the forage (chopped hay)? If so I would think it would be a good choice but I'm not sure I'd go there unless I knew I wasn't going to be able to get consistent good hay. It's only the most seriously metabolic horses that will need a typical grass hay to be soaked to remove sugars and these are the horses that I think would benefit most from the Safe Starch forage, just to take some of the guesswork out for their owners and reduce the labor intensity of having to soak hay.

Most horses do well on a hay-based diet (for minis, typically a first-cut grass hay is best) so I would probably start there rather than feeding bagged forage, then use a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement to add in needed minerals.

Congratulations on your new guy, he's beautiful!

 

[HersheyMint]

Congratulations, your mini is beautiful!

 

[GonzalezFamilyFarm]

Do you mean the forage (chopped hay)? If so I would think it would be a good choice but I'm not sure I'd go there unless I knew I wasn't going to be able to get consistent good hay. It's only the most seriously metabolic horses that will need a typical grass hay to be soaked to remove sugars and these are the horses that I think would benefit most from the Safe Starch forage, just to take some of the guesswork out for their owners and reduce the labor intensity of having to soak hay.

Most horses do well on a hay-based diet (for minis, typically a first-cut grass hay is best) so I would probably start there rather than feeding bagged forage, then use a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral supplement to add in needed minerals.

Congratulations on your new guy, he's beautiful!

Yes, the forage. I'm not positive I'll be able to get consistent good hay in my area. I know minis are prone to lots of health issues in terms of starches and sugars and don't want to hurt him. I absolutely love him already.

 

[Cayuse]

Handsome boy! He looks in really good condition, do you know what his prior owners were feeding him? I'd be be tempted to stick with that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it .

 

[GonzalezFamilyFarm]

Handsome boy! He looks in really good condition, do you know what his prior owners were feeding him? I'd be be tempted to stick with that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it .

They were feeding him some type of pellet. They didn't really tell us.

 

[chandab]

You might be able to mix it with the plain alfafa/timothy chop available at TSC, then hopefully you can get one or the other anytime you go to the store, and be less likely to run out of one or the other. If mixed half-half, you could bump up to 3/4-1/4 quickly/easily, should one be out of stock when you need more (I would suggest not completely running out before restocking). The compressed Timothy bales are pretty nice at TSC, Standlee brand; they are not fortified so would need at least a vitamin mineral supplement or ration balancer added to fill in the nutritional gaps left by all forages.

 

[Kelly]

Such a handsome boy! I LOVE black horses

 

[MaryFlora]

Congratulations and welcome! Beautiful mini! I like Cayuse thought on asking the former owners what exactly they were feeding him. You could then work from that point to adapt or change if needed.

You have already received great information, and my only addition is that
I have been feeding my minis alfalfa pellets mixed with a senior equine pelleted feed for years now and they do well. I think it is important, however, to weigh your feed in your scoop so you know precisely what you are feeding, and check on what amount is right for your cutie pie.

He is a honey!